The event, chaired by Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) Le Cong Thanh, gathered over 100 delegates from ministries, embassies, businesses, associations, international organizations, development partners, and other stakeholders in the NPAP network in Vietnam.

Led by UNDP Vietnam, NPAP is a multilateral, multi-stakeholder platform established through an official partnership between the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) and the World Economic Forum. It enables collaboration between the government and key partners to turn commitments on plastic waste and pollution into actionable steps.

Members of the NPAP working group

At the 4th mid-term annual workshop, participants evaluated NPAP’s achievements, identified priorities, and discussed key plans for 2025. The highlight of the workshop was the announcement of the decision to restructure the NPAP Working Group, as stipulated by Decision No. 1922/QĐ-BTNMT, issued on July 12, 2024. The Working Group is led by the Deputy Minister of MONRE and includes 33 representatives from ministries, sectors, development partners, businesses, non-profit organizations, and research institutes. Together, they will collaborate to implement the national roadmap on plastic waste reduction and promote circular economy solutions.

In his speech, Deputy Minister Le Cong Thanh, head of the NPAP Working Group, highlighted NPAP's efforts to unite key stakeholders—government agencies, businesses, and non-governmental organizations—in addressing plastic waste and pollution while transitioning towards a sustainable circular economy for the plastics industry.

Deputy Minister of MONRE Le Cong Thanh, Head of the NPAP Working Group, delivering the opening speech

Through a comprehensive and inclusive approach, NPAP has engaged in various cooperative activities, fostering widespread awareness of responsibility and contributing to unified action across sectors and public support nationwide to tackle plastic pollution. "Initial significant results have laid the foundation for Vietnam to gradually resolve the plastic waste issue and contribute responsibly to global efforts," emphasized the Deputy Minister.

To support the NPAP Working Group in implementing the program, two technical groups have been established: Innovation and Finance, and Gender and Inclusive Development. These groups coordinate the activities and initiatives of NPAP Vietnam’s members and partners to reduce plastic pollution.

Looking ahead, the Deputy Minister called for stronger international cooperation between NPAP Vietnam, other NPAP programs worldwide, and international organizations to jointly address plastic pollution—a transboundary issue requiring a collective human effort. He emphasized the need to mobilize resources and combine global expertise with local knowledge and innovation to tackle plastic pollution and promote the circular economy.

Ms. Ramla Khalidi, Resident Representative of UNDP Vietnam and Vice Chair of the NPAP working group, sharing her remarks

“For its part, MONRE will continue to work effectively alongside ministries, sectors, localities, businesses, and international organizations in the shared effort to implement NPAP with a comprehensive and inclusive approach. This will position NPAP as a model for mobilizing resources from public, private, community, and citizen stakeholders to tackle plastic waste pollution at its root, while also enhancing Vietnam’s leadership role in the region at multilateral forums related to plastic waste management,” said Deputy Minister Le Cong Thanh.

On this occasion, Ms. Ramla Khalidi, Resident Representative of UNDP Vietnam and Vice Chair of the NPAP Working Group, shared, “The core of NPAP is collaboration. The active participation and initiatives of members are key to driving the systemic changes needed to reduce plastic waste and move towards sustainable solutions.”

Over 100 delegates attending the 4th mid-term annual NPAP workshop

Canadian Ambassador to Vietnam and Vice Chair of the Working Group, Mr. Shawn Steil, expressed, “Canada is proud to support global efforts to combat plastic pollution through the Global Plastic Action Partnership (GPAP). Reducing plastic waste requires collaboration with governments, the private sector, and other organizations while considering the needs of women and minority communities. Canada is committed to advancing action at both the global and local levels, including NPAP in Vietnam, for a cleaner and more sustainable future.”

During discussions at the workshop, delegates emphasized that NPAP Vietnam must continue to implement practical activities aligned with current realities and pressing needs at plastic waste hotspots across the country, in line with global, regional, and national trends. This includes promoting policy dissemination and awareness campaigns to change the behavior of businesses and the public, from responsible design, production, consumption, and disposal of plastic products, contributing to the effective implementation of the extended producer responsibility (EPR) in the plastics sector, as well as managing the lifecycle of plastics from production to consumption, collection, sorting, recycling, and reuse.

Ngoc Huyen (NRE Newspaper)